A Life Worth Fighting For
by Nalei
Summary: After the Uchiha Clan Massacre, Itachi leaves Konoha as a wanted criminal. With the offer to join the Akatsuki still standing, he travels the land mindlessly until he reaches a remote town at the border of Hi no Kuni. Despite the agonizing burden he carries, his conscience is relieved after meeting a certain person who teaches him the true meaning of Peace.


_**"After the Uchiha Clan Massacre, Itachi leaves Konoha as a wanted criminal. With the offer to join the Akatsuki still standing, he travels the land mindlessly until he reaches a remote town at the border of Hi no Kuni. Despite the agonizing burden he carries, his conscience is relieved after meeting a certain person who teaches him the true meaning of Peace."**_

**Takes place right after Itachi leaves Konoha.  
**

**Itachi did not become a pacifist after witnessing the Third Shinobi World War, only traumatized.**

* * *

"Don't let the darkness frighten you, little brother. It is merely the illusion of solitude that keeps you awake at night. But you're not alone, because I'm with you. Even if you curse me, hate me—even if your eyes refuse to see me, I'm with you. _Always_."

A stray tear rippled the reflection in the calm water. The youth of barely fourteen rose to his feet, soundlessly. He adjusted the hood of his torn cloak to cover the back of his jet-black hair, studying the waning twilight that still illuminated the seemingly never-ending forest canopy before him.

Agonized by an inner conflict delving itself deeper into his mind, the youth spared a peaceful moment to enjoy the complete silence that engulfed the area around the small lake, thinking it would be his last for a long while. Not even the wind was present that night, but the air was spicy with the scent of the landscape's flourishing growth.

His musings were interrupted by a squawking black crow overhead, perched on a lonesome tree beside the road. He glanced up and observed the crow as it took off and disappeared into the forest, his eyes shimmering in the dim light.

He strode down the road, not bothering to look behind him; farther from Konoha, farther from his old life and everything he wanted to protect.

"And don't let the light deceive you, little brother," he mumbled. "For the path you chose is nothing but a luminous dream. Only when your eyes are ready, the truth shall be revealed, and we will meet again. I promise."

* * *

The remote town near Hi no Kuni's northeastern border was always lively and filled with people from all over the world, as it served as a milestone for various trading routes. The abundance of scents permeating the air gave the atmosphere an exotic touch. It was the foreign spices, flowers and material that enhanced Itachi's feeling of being lost, or at the very least unfamiliar.

Itachi had always been a lonely character. He seldom sought the company of others. Not because he did not want to, but rather because he did not need to. Even so, company rarely found him. Serenity was his blessing, but also his curse.

The crowded streets did not bother him much. He found it rather easy to disregard the chatter and banter around him, and still maintain his perception. That was something he had learned at a very young age.

By the entrance to the main street stood a large warning sign. It looked old and dusty, ready and willing to be taken down and replaced by a younger of its kind. The handwriting was not particularly elegant, and the ink was starting to fade.

"Beware," Itachi read out loud, "_pickpockets_."

"Aye." A large man, standing in front of the makeshift gate like a glorified sentry, took a step forward. "Quite a lot of them during this season. Real little pests, that's for sure, but they're quite easy to catch." He showed a wide grin, revealing a few yellow teeth. "If you know how."

Itachi wondered why the man would just come up and speak to him like that. After all, at his young age, and in the casual clothing he wore, it was not completely unthinkable that someone would mistake him for a petty thief as well. Perhaps the cloak made him look older.

"You must be a very capable man," he mumbled and entered the street, leaving the man behind him.

Thieves in towns like these were usually young, abandoned or orphaned and had known nothing but misery and despair in their lives. Itachi knew that. He found it pitiful that someone would take pride in hunting these children down for the sake of their own delusional justice. But he did not choose to dwell in such a trivial matter. He had learned that life would not do the poor and powerless any favors. It was a cruel truth, he admitted, but not much could be done about it.

The idle chattering between townsfolk and merchants intensified as Itachi proceeded down the wide street. Normally, Itachi would have avoided the livelier parts of town, but turning back would not win him any time, he realized.

Two scrawny boys, dressed in nothing but dirty rags, their faces marred with cuts and bruises, emerged from the crowd before him. They swiftly ran past him, distress in their eyes. A third one, also a boy, came running towards Itachi seconds later, constantly looking over his own shoulder. In his hands he held a loaf of bread.

"Don't let those fucking kids get away!" a large man, with more hair on his arms than his head, shouted as he stumbled out from the crowd of people, his forehead glistening. "Stop them!"

The boy, who was too occupied following the man with his gaze, never realized his path was blocked before it was too late. Thrown back by the impact as he collided with Itachi, the boy gasped.

Itachi was completely untouched. He picked up the loaf of bread the boy had dropped and handed it to him. "Here," he said. "You dropped this."

The boy looked up, knitting his brows. He nodded, lurched to his feet, and dashed off again. Itachi watched him disappear around the corner. The large man had now caught up and had fastened his gaze on Itachi, panting and wiping beads of sweat from his face.

"You..." he began as his eyes narrowed. "Why did you let him go?!"

Itachi looked away as if he disregarded the burly man in front of him. His eyes caught the sight of two young women who were pointing at him. Realizing he had now become the center of attention, Itachi turned back to the man. When he finally spoke, his demeanor and tone were deadpan. "I'm sorry. I didn't know he was a thief."

"Why you little..." The man closed his hands into fists and hardened his jaw.

"To me he looked like a child on the brink of starvation. Nothing more, nothing less," Itachi murmured. "That is why I could not find it in me to stop him."

The man briskly grabbed the front of Itachi's shirt and pulled him closer, inches away from his breath. "I should have you arrested as their accomplice, damn brat!"

Itachi snapped his head up, squeezing the man's hand with his own until a faint crack could be heard. Yet his composure remained calm, eyes still filled with a certain gentleness that could easily change at any moment. "A simple apology should be enough."

"You...!" The man raised his other fist.

In a split second, Itachi lowered his brows, hardening his gaze. He gave the man a look only a person who had seen death could make, lowering his head slightly to make sure it stayed between him and the man, whose face had turned pale.

"F-fine!" the man growled before turning on his heel. "I'll let you off this time!"

Itachi watched the man walk away, and the crowd of people dispersed without a word, as if nothing had ever happened. Most of them seemed discontent, he noticed. Perhaps they were hoping for their little quarrel to develop into something more physical. Twisted entertainment, nonetheless. Itachi shrugged and moved on. He had no intention of becoming a tool to please the crowd's yearning for violence.

He had only been walking for a few minutes when he spotted a rather peculiar sign. As he looked closer, he realized it was supposed to depict a smiling soybean. The paint was old and had been smeared out, probably by the rain. He resisted a faint urge to laugh at the painting with ease, but ignoring his growling stomach was more difficult. It was not something he had planned to do much longer anyway.

During his time as an Anbu captain, Itachi had grown accustomed to eating food pills. Tasteless and unsatisfying, they sure were, but served an important purpose. Itachi knew that, and it did not bother him. However, given the opportunity, he would never say no to a proper meal. A bowl of nattō and rice could never be wrong.

A young woman greeted him when he entered the small eatery. She was smaller than him, clad in a purple kimono, her hair neatly tied into a simple updo. He noticed her pale skin and soft chestnut hair and her graceful movements as she turned to greet another pair of customers. She had been trained, he thought.

Adjusting the hood of his cloak, he walked up quietly and sat down by the counter.

Just as he was about to order, a voice behind him loudly said, "Two bowls of nattō and rice, please! Extra large one for this guy. And some miso soup!"

On the seat beside him, a youth sat down. Itachi moved his gaze slightly. He noted the strong and determined voice, the fierce eyes and the unkempt, rough brown hair that was tied into a ponytail to look shorter. A boy, seemingly. The only detail that stood out to Itachi was his smooth skin. Though Itachi had not touched it, he could see it, even at first glance. The boy's clothes, however, still told a tale of poverty; as did the rest of his skinny appearance.

"Don't worry," the boy said as he passed Itachi a smile. "It's on me."

Itachi did not even know what to answer. The boy looked a bit younger than himself, also. But in the end, he managed a mumbled, "Thank you."

"You caused quite a scene back there," the boy continued. "What are you? Some kind of vigilante?"

"Yeah." Itachi laughed inwardly at the irony. "Something like that."

"I'm a street performer, by the way. Yasu is the name." The boy reached out his hand. "I happened to walk by earlier when you saved those kids. Quite noble of you, actually. Not sure if anyone in this town would've done the same."

Itachi looked at the hand for a moment and then shifted his gaze forward. He kept silent.

"Not much of a talker, are you?" Yasu remarked. "Well, that can't be helped. I guess."

"Not when I eat," Itachi explained as a large bowl was placed in front of him.

"I see. Well, regardless, that was nicely done of you!"

"Thank you."

The boy grabbed a pair of chopsticks and began eating. "You know, this world needs more people like you in it," he said, munching.

Itachi stopped eating. "How so?"

"People who are not afraid to stand up for the weak. You don't see that kind every day, that's for sure."

Itachi looked down on his hands. "It's unfortunate."

Yasu noticed Itachi's blank eyes. "So what brings you to this town?"

For a moment, Itachi wondered why Yasu had assumed he was new in town. "Nothing. It just happened to be in my path."

"Well isn't that... just great! You don't really need a better reason to come here, I guess?" Yasu put in and leaned over to give Itachi a pat on his shoulder. His tone had changed slightly. It was milder than before, and his eyes moved up and down before redirecting themselves at Itachi, slowly. He quickly finished the rest of his food in a sloppy manner and exclaimed, "Well... since you're new here, I have something nice for you. A gift! Yes, a welcoming gift! No, wait. Think of it as a token of gratitude. I'll go fetch it right away!" Yasu rose to his feet, wiping his lips.

"_Gift?_"

"Yes, exactly!" said Yasu, giving Itachi two thumbs up. "You just wait here, okay? I'll be back in a second!"

Itachi watched as Yasu hurried out of the eatery. He turned his head back to face his bowl of fermented soy beans. For some reason, he could not stop thinking about what the boy had said just moments ago. That he wished there were more people like _him _in this world. How ironic, Itachi thought. The world certainly did _not _need more people like him.

By the time Itachi had finished his food, the boy had still not returned. But it did not worry him. He had already realized long ago what Yasu really was after. A meal, just like any of the other starving youths in town. Or so he believed.

Itachi did admit the boy seemed to be quite clever for a regular orphan. Perhaps even a bit too clever for his own good. He knew Yasu had been trying hard to maintain a deep voice; one that belonged to a man. His strained throat gave him away. But Itachi thought that maybe this once, the boy had overestimated himself, if only just a bit. After all, the voice of a prepubescent boy could not be altered that easily, and a youth's height rarely told lies. He knew that all too well.

However, why Yasu would go to such lengths for a free meal, he did not understand. If he had just asked, the outcome would have been the same. Itachi had no reason to decline such an honest request.

Once again adjusting the hood of his cloak, Itachi slid his hand into his pocket to pick up his pouch. But something was not right. His hand lingered for a while, and when he pulled it out he let out a long sigh.

"That little..." he mumbled under his breath, turning his empty pocket inside out. "How troublesome."


End file.
